Welding Rods and Exposure to Welding Gases

Welding Rods and Exposure to Welding Gases
Welding is the joining of metals by applying heat,
sometimes with pressure and sometimes with an intermediate
or filler metal having a high melting point. The
intermediate or filler metal that is used to join metals
together is commonly referred to as a welding rod. Many
welders use welding rods containing a high percentage of
the element manganese.

Maganese is used in welding rods because it strengthens a
metal as it is being fused by the welding process. When
metals are heated and melted together, gas is produced.
These welding gases are dangerous since welders are exposed
to manganese when they breathe the fumes released in the
air as rods are melted during welding operations. Manganese
is a toxic element that passes quickly into the blood
stream and tissues of the body.

Welders show a higher than normal average of manganese
exposure. Manganese poisoning or exposure to high levels of
manganese on a frequent basis or over long periods of time
can lead to a disease known as manganism. Manganism is also
known as welder's disease. Some of the symptoms of
manganism are very similar to those of Parkinson's disease.
As a result, manganism has been classified as a
Parkinsonian syndrome.

Researchers found welders who had been exposed to manganese
fumes in welding rods and materials were likely to develop
side effects and symptoms of Parkinson's 15 years earlier
than an average individual not exposed to welding rod
fumes. Both scientists and manufacturers of welding rods
have known that there was a higher incidence of Parkinson's
disease and asthma among welders and other individuals
exposed to manganese and other dangerous elements contained
in welding rods. The manufacturers, however, failed to
adequately warn of these ill effects, and for years have
failed to instruct employers of welders on how they can
keep their workers safe.

Health Effects of Welding Rod Fume Exposure

Manganese poisoning is one of the most documented of all
complications caused by environmental toxins. Still,
manufacturers continue to use manganese in welding rods and
other applications, choosing to put profits before safety.
Manganism is also known as Parkinson's Syndrome because its
symptoms are very similar to Parkinson's Disease, a
debilitating and incurable disease affecting the central
nervous system and the important production of the
neurotransmitter dopamine.

The symptoms of Parkinson's Syndrome include tremors
affecting various parts of the upper body, reduction of
facial expression, difficulty in locomotion, difficulty
swallowing, and difficulty with speech. Exposure to welding
fumes can cause disorders of the central nervous system and
neurological problems.

Typical symptoms include tremors or shakiness, decreased
movement or rigid muscles, loss of balance, joint and
muscle pain, slow movement, sterility in men, short term
memory problems, slow or slurred speech, hand stiffness and
pain, and other neurological symptoms.

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